Letters: Punish universities? Michigan's party of petty politics strikes again

Mar. 23, 2013

WSU President Allan Gilmour testifies before a state House higher education subcommittee last week. / David Jesse/Detroit Free Press

I applaud the Wayne State University Board of Governors for standing up to the Republican bullies in the state House. Like typical bullies, if the Republicans don't get their way on an issue, they try to force their will in a different way, by creating new legislation.

In this case, Republicans ram through right-to-work legislation (during a lame-duck session) that will take effect on March 28. But Republicans weren't smart enough to think that some would bargain for long-term contracts before March 28. To make up for their shortsightedness, they try to change the rules, threatening to withhold funding for those who cleverly bargained contract extensions.

It is similar to the passage of the new Emergency Financial Manager Law. When the voters voted down the previous EM law, Republicans tweaked the old law and passed a new one.

I hope others have the courage to stand up to the bullies in Lansing and pass long-term contracts before March 28.

Patrick Peirce, Clinton Township

Republican dictators

Once again, the Republican dictators in Lansing are threatening working-class people with cuts if they don't fall in line with their agenda. Once again, they prove that it's all about politics and money. For Republicans, money is their weapon of choice to beat up the working-class people of Michigan.

The Republicans are destroying Michigan for working-class people and their families, and they are doing it with our money.

Rick Whitson

Southgate

Blatant hypocrisy

Oh, those crazy Republicans. They've taken a page out of the Joseph Stalin playbook and have decided to punish two leading state universities with an ex post facto law.

To paraphrase state Rep. Al Pscholka, R-Stevensville, it's very "blatant" what's going on here: The Republicans are hastily rewriting Michigan history with the purported intent of attracting highly-educated individuals to bring new jobs to the state. Their efforts will succeed in attracting a plethora of check-cashing places and dollar stores.

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The Republicans have degenerated the stature of the State of Michigan to a mock-up of a Carnival cruise liner -- adrift, without a purpose, unable to operate on its own power. If the commitment in the Legislature is to improving the state of education and jobs in Michigan, then the Republicans need to get out of junior high and start acting like college grads.

Ed Zelenak

Lincoln Park

Abide by right-to-work

The citizens of Michigan voted for right-to-work last November by a wide margin. Since universities get state aid, they should be required to follow the will of the people or pay the price for failure to comply. Universities and local school districts should not be allowed to bypass the right-to-work law without suffering consequences. The people bargaining with teachers unions are bending over for the unions and going against the taxpayers. The Legislature needs to teach them a lesson.

Tom Tallon

Wyandotte

Legislative circumventers

State Rep. Al Pscholka, R-Stevensville, thinks that Wayne State University is trying to circumvent state law by having their new labor agreement signed before the right-to-work law takes effect? Please explain to me how penalizing WSU for getting things done before the law changes isn't a bold effort to circumvent the law regarding effective dates of legislation.

Thomas VanDeGrift

Birmingham

The arrogant bully party

What law currently on the books in Michigan makes it unlawful for these schools to negotiate a contract? The problem with Republicans is that they forgot they are against big government and now push to extend more government control.

The state took over Detroit Public Schools twice in recent history; remember Robert Bobb? And at both times, student scores actually went down.

Why do the Republicans continue to expand government powers? Less government interference! I am ashamed I voted Republican this last time around. Nationally, the Republicans are searching for an identity. Statewide, they are a bunch of arrogant bullies squeezing dimes out of the vanishing middle class.

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Watching this current batch of Republicans at the Capitol, I can state with great conviction I will not vote for a Republican come 2014. In fact, I will cast my vote for a write-in gerbil before I vote Republican again. At least their behaviors are consistent and reliable.

Todd Manns

Elk Rapids

Too much credit given

The March 20 editorial, "GOP lawmakers show insulting hypocrisy over WSU contract," was to the point and accurate. However, do you really think that people who are unable to reflect on parallel behaviors, condemning others and lauding their own, can understand what was meant when you labeled their punishing behavior of universities making them even more "garishly petulant"? Really? I think you give them too much credit.

Alan Hoffman

Birmingham

The slimiest lawmakers

What unions are doing is a little slimy, but Republicans hardly have a right to complain. Forcing right-to-work legislation through in a lame-duck session was slimy. Doing it without committee hearings, in two days, and preventing the public from speaking on this issue was slimy. Saying that right-to-work was not on their agenda when it was, was slimy.

The very term, right-to-work, which is grossly misleading, is slimy. Covering their sliminess by saying this law is about "freedom" and "liberty" when it isn't is slimy.

Declaring that right-to-work will bring more business, higher wages and better jobs to the state when facts from right-to-work states show otherwise is slimy. Pretending that this is about workers rights when it's really a power grab because unions usually back Democrats is slimy. And now, trying to find a way to keep education funding from schools that are locking in long-term union contracts is really, really slimy.